Brady A. Smith

PROCESSIONAL

Beginning of the wedding ceremony. Guests are Seated.

INVOCATION

Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Ryan and Elizabeth. In the years that they have been together, their love for each other has grown, turning them into the couple you see before you. Now, they are ready to spend the rest of their lives together as husband and wife. A true marriage begins well before the wedding day, and the efforts of marriage continue well beyond the ceremony. A brief moment in time is all that is required to create the legal bond of marriage, but it takes a lifetime of love, commitment, and compromise to make marriage durable and everlasting. Today you declare your commitment to each other before family and friends.

Elizabeth and I have been the best of friends for over 20 years now and I am so lucky to be able to call her my oldest friend. Growing up and going to school together, I was so lucky to have someone who I always knew would be there for me. We met Ryan when he made the second best decision of his life, to transfer from John Bapst after his freshman year and join us at Brewer High School. Obviously the best decision he made is the reason we are here today.

We instantly clicked with Ryan and before long, our trio was born. When Ryan and Elizabeth began their new relationship, exactly ten years ago today, I was more than happy to tag along as the third wheel. I will never forget the summer between sophomore and junior year when we couldn't be separated. If we weren't working, sleeping, or with family, we were together. Hours of swimming in the pool, minigolf, batting cages, going out to eat, and spending as much time as we could together created a bond between us that will last forever.

Our trio grew over the years, to include a group of friends that I could have only dreamed of being a part of. All of us, a part of each others families. We moved out of state, out of our parents, graduated college, started careers, came home, and through it all, never lost the strength of our friendship. Ten years has brought us here today, to celebrate a love that we have all watched grow and become stronger and stronger. Now we get to celebrate the marriage of two people who we all have so much love for, Ryan and Elizabeth.

DECLARATION OF INTENT

Ryan, Elizabeth, please turn and face each other.

(To Ryan)

Do you Ryan, take Elizabeth to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?

(Ryan Response)

(To Elizabeth)

Do you Elizabeth, take Ryan to be your Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?

(Elizabeth Response)

RINGS EXCHANGE

It is now time to exchange the rings. Dylan, can you please hand Ryan the ring?

Ryan, please repeat after me.

(Ryan to Elizabeth)

Elizabeth, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, and the promise to love you for the rest of my days.

(place the ring on her finger)

Anna, can you please hand Elizabeth the ring?

Elizabeth, please repeat after me.

(Elizabeth to Ryan)

Ryan, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, and the promise to love you for the rest of my days.

(place the ring on his finger)

PRONOUNCEMENT

With the vows that Ryan and Elizabeth have taken today and with the exchanging of rings, they have stated their unwavering love for each other in front their family and friends. It gives me great pleasure to have had the opportunity to officiate this wedding and to say that by the power vested in me by the State of Maine, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Ryan, you may kiss your bride.

Family and Friends I present to you for the first time Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Tesseo!